


Hitteki Scrolls: Scroll 11: Closure

by jennymstead



Series: Hitteki Scrolls [15]
Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Character Death, Death, Fights, Gen, Goodbyes, Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, Ninja, POV First Person, Reflection, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:14:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27343363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennymstead/pseuds/jennymstead
Summary: The final chapter of the original Hitteki Scrolls Series.  Spoken though the eyes of Toshi herself as she makes a dire decision during the attack from Pain on Konoha.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Hitteki Scrolls [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1976317
Kudos: 4
Collections: Kakashi





	Hitteki Scrolls: Scroll 11: Closure

**Author's Note:**

> Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto  
> Hitteki Scrolls (c) 2007/2020 Jenny M. Stead

Scroll 11:  
Closure

Forward:

As most of the hard core fans of this series knew, I abandoned the Hitteki Scrolls several years ago in my pursuit of an original work. My goal was to gain popularity and be known for an original cast and an original setting. In the process of that quest I placed all the fan art and fan fiction of the scrolls in storage on DeviantART to help the attention focus more on my original works, and eventually shut down the account due to inactivity. I did hear a lot of outcry over the matter, got a lot of criticism for it, even at one time being accused of insulting my fans over it. I lost many followers over the cause. I still say to this very day that the sole purpose of taking down all of this material was so I could gain a fan base for my original works and bring the attention off of Toshi for a change. This worked, and over the years I realized that Toshi was a big part of my success. Toshi is my 3rd most successful character. This act wasn’t an insult to the character nor the fans. This was an act to help me career wise, and if I hadn’t done it I never would have gained the career in the first place. I may have sounded cold at times when replying, but after many years of “bring Toshi back" it can wear on you.

I read the scrolls completely not too long ago for kicks and realized that it was a very good story. I found myself reading it as a fan more than the author. There has always been a set storyline to the H-Scrolls, and I’ve always wanted to tell everyone in detail what was going to happen.

Please do not take this final scroll as a “quick exit” or “easy way out”. This is the original story as I had outlined in my sketchbook years ago when I was still working on the storyline. The format and some details are the only details that have changed to accommodate the changes and story that has emerged from the original Naruto and Naruto Shippuden Series. The series originally ended shortly after the Pain arc was released in manga form. My goal initially with this series has always been that Toshi was a background character and not a main character. I always had it set in mind that she existed in the world of Naruto but not to the naked eye.  
I created her on a whim to show my favorite character, Kakashi, in a new light. I wanted to create a complete opposite of him to bring him out of the “cool guy” comfort zone. I’ve always seen Kakashi as a dork, and wanted to play and experiment with that setting. Never in my wildest days would I have known that a small story about a girl getting him to argue with her would turn into a mini universe this complex.

Update: It's been over a decade since I've written this series, and I pulled out the scrolls and discovered that I still had plans in mind for the storyline, even after so long and ending it the way that I did. Toshi, again, has always been a huge part of my life and even now I relate more to her than I ever have. The last scroll of this series is the ORIGINAL ending that was planned, and I can announce with much excitement that she will be returning in a sequel series very soon. The sequel series will be an alternate universe setting on how the world of Naruto... and even Boruto would have changed had Toshi been able to live on. More of that information to come!

Thank you, and now I present the final Hitteki Scroll: Closure.

-Jenny M. Stead

*****

All I can hear is explosions. The faint sounds of wailing can also be heard in the distance. I honestly have no idea what’s happening or why it’s happening. There are only a few things at the moment I can be sure about. I’m outnumbered, people dear to me are dying, and I need to act now if I am to save them.

I whirl around to try to take in the full setting. The sky is dark with smoke. My mind is racing. All I can seem to think about at the moment is all of the revelations that have been brought to me over the last few weeks. Images in my head of the truth seem to call out to me, telling me why I’m here at this very moment. The truths in question were about a family that I’ve had this whole time without knowing, and truths about how my former teammates were mere pawns in a larger scheme. My mind goes back to those fateful days. 

The final night of my students’ chunin exam, Ichitaro Taisuke, a former childhood teammate, snuck into the village. He attacked and almost killed my student Gato in the Forest of Death training grounds searching for the secret behind my signature jutsu. He then showed up later at both my rival’s and best friend’s living quarters. I wince as I think about it all. He nearly killed Iruka, and if it wasn’t for Kakashi being on his guard, he could have killed him too. 

The moment it happened I suited up and left the village on my own. I remembered the look on Kakashi’s face as I punched him square in the jaw for following me. He wanted to help. I didn’t want him to. In fact I had chosen that night to stay clear of both he and Iruka. They were the closest things I had to family, and Azamaki Saito, my remaining childhood teammate, knew this. They were a liability. Saito knew as I did that if anything happened to either of them, it would break me. 

I eventually caught up with Saito outside of the village. That night and the storm it brought seemed to echo my intentions toward him. We fought to the death that night. I knew that if he were to survive, more innocent lives connected to me would parish. Saito was relentless. He wanted my signature jutsu. He had wanted it since our training days. He was even willing to kill our sensei for the secret. Just like I, he believed that the technique had been passed down generation to generation in our teacher’s clan. This was false, as I would find out only a few weeks after our duel. The truth was, that this technique had been handed down to the next first born in line within my mother’s clan; the Ikitani. The clan originated from the land of earth back before the days of the First Great NinjaWar. My clan owned the jutsu, and because I was the oldest child between my mother and her twin brother Ikitani Toshihiro, I inherited it. 

My mind flashes back to the fateful night I fought Saito. He proved to be my match. Never in my days had I fought such an adversary. I will admit to anyone who asks, that I was truly petrified for my life that night. I even began to doubt facing him alone. He was strong, and even the jutsu that I fought so hard to keep from him was too little to keep him at bay. My mind is still foggy about how the fight ended. I just remember my tanto piercing him through the side, and his kunai stabbing inches away from my heart. My vision became weak as I witnessed his free hand race another kunai toward my back. Before the blow struck, I was lifted off of my feet by something heavy and thrown aside. A bright light blinded me for a moment as I gave one last look toward Saito, who was pinned dead against a tree. I would later find out the next day that Kakashi had intervened and protected me against Saito.

Yet, now I stand here with more than worry on my mind. I turn behind me to look at the jutsu-made wall that appeared only minutes ago. Everything seemed to happen so fast. Under suspected orders from the hokage, I was to guide the Anbu agents to areas in the village that needed them most. Under fire, I stumbled upon Kakashi facing off with what looked like a rogue ninja. He stood tall with a large spiky frock of red hair. There were piercings up and down his face. I sprang to assist my rival. Before the rogue ninja could spot me, I witnessed my friend summon a great amount of power to the ground creating the barrier that I’m gazing at now. Once again, he was working to protect me. No matter what I’m doing, and no matter how many times I try to help him, in the end he’s the one calling the shots, and in the end I’m the one on the side lines praying for his safe return. It angers me to feel that helpless.

I shake off what I’m thinking. Kakashi is a strong ninja. Whatever his opponent has in store, Kakashi will have the upper hand. It has to be so, because it’s the only thing keeping me from leaping over that wall. Part of me also wishes I was still in the dark about all these truths. Part of me also wishes that I was a kid again; ignorant of what lay ahead of me beyond the gates of Konoha. Yet, that’s the past, and whatever happened in my life is for a reason. If I had never entered this village, I wouldn’t be here right now protecting the ones I care for most.

I can hear the faint sounds of rough laughter as I turn my back on the wall. It’s been several minutes, I remind myself, since my and Kakashi’s separation. I gaze upward to see a subordinate of mine smiling down at me; his hand holding the ancient scroll containing my family’s technique. The scroll is battered and the seal on it is broken. I huff in frustration. There hasn’t been a word between us in over five minutes.  
“My brother was a fool," his words echo in my mind, “like Taisuke, he was just a mere pawn in the plan.” I still stand in my spot waiting for his move. The ground beneath me quakes as I take in what has happened in the short time since the wall was created.

There was an ambush, my defeat of 10 Anbu guards, and a confession; Tozu’s confession. To be more precise, Azamaki Tozu the second. Saito’s elder brother and what was thought to be a dedicated member of my squad. Tozu had proven his loyalties to me several months before when he pin pointed the exact location of Saito’s hiding place. He had even joined Kakashi’s search and rescue team when I went to face Saito. In all the years I had known Tozu, I never knew him to be this conniving. He was always at ends with his clan when it came to my family and myself; even disowned for serving next to me. He never had a negative thing to say to me, and even served alongside my cousin Ikitani Koji on several occasions. I shake my head toward my foolishness. I should have known better that the lust for a technique that wasn’t his own outweighed any honor he had as a member of this village, or my subordinate. Every Azamaki was like this, since the beginning of time, and their hatred for the Hitteki clan only fueled their further quest for power.

I can still hear the sounds of the bombs and screams around me. I feel the earth around my feet for a moment as a ping inside tells me to come up with a plan. I know it’s not me who is ordering this. In fact the only reason why Tozu hasn’t attacked is because of this voice of reason inside of me. I stare upward as the all knowing eyes of my lifelong battle partner blink in waiting. They stare back into my bright yellow and red eyes sending a jolt of serine calm within me. It knows as much as I do that I have to do something drastic. It knows that we both have to make a sacrifice. I choke back a cry as the creature nods its head in approval. The stone dragon of the Ikitani clan has forgiven me for what I’m about to do.

Everything happens very fast. My presence melts down to a pool of soft mud. For a split second Tozu is fazed by the action. The split second is just enough time for me to leap behind him, kicking the scroll from his grasp. Both of us stare as the large item flies in the sky. Tozu is the first to act. He shoves me away and leaps into the air to retrieve the item. I make the hand seals of the horse and the tiger, and summon a large amount of chakra from the dragon. My mouth opens as I shoot a fireball at the scroll. Tozu’s head spins around. I can see the look of both fear and rage cross his face as he has no choice but to leap out of the way.

The fireball hits.

A sudden pain fills my body. I literally feel like I’m on fire. I hit the ground hard as the agonizing sounds of the dragon fill my head. Then I realize those sounds are emanating from me too. It’s a horrible feeling. I can feel the chakra leave my body rapidly, and the burning growing stronger. I open my eyes for a split second to see the dragon crumple to dust, and the scroll in ashes. A roar of fury sounds off ahead of me as Tozu lifts himself from the ground. I’m too weak. I can’t beat him. He’s going to finish me. I watch in helplessness as Tozu positions himself over me, his tanto now above my head. His eyes are cold. He raises the weapon to strike. I shut my eyes to shield whatever pain he may bring, but only feel a liquid substance rain down upon me. I open my eyes and realize its blood; Tozu’s blood.

“I really need to get some sort of tracker on you," I can hear the frustrated sounds of Koji’s voice behind the now dead Tozu. Like a piece of rubbish, my cousin throws him aside and stares over toward my handiwork.  
“The scroll," he huffs, “it’s destroyed?”  
“I had no choice," I cough out. I can no longer feel the burning; all I can feel is my chakra depleting, and my body weakening by the second, “I can’t trust it to fall into the wrong hands anymore. It was the only way to stop the Azamaki or anyone else from getting it.” Koji rubs the back of his neck in wary observing the entire landscape, and all of the Anbu guards that I’ve slaughtered.  
“I knew you were tough," he commented dryly, but I can still sense a hint of amusement in his tone, “but not that tough. These guys were in Root. As soon as I heard that Danzo sent them after you, I had to intervene. After all, I still have a responsibility to you and the scroll. It’s my job as second branch of our clan to protect you; even if you don’t want to be protected.” 

I smile at the irony of it all. He’s here to protect me. He has no idea what I’ve done. He has no idea that my attempts to destroy the dragon while connected to it have made his efforts redundant.  
“Well, everything is done now," I can hear him continue. He holds out his hand, “There are others that need our help. Konoha is under attack and they need you now more than ever.” I don’t take his hand. Time is running out.  
“No," I breathe beckoning him closer. I can see the color drain from his face. He’s genuinely concerned for me.  
“Toshi?” There’s a quiver in his voice as he shakes his head. He kneels down to help me up, but I wave him off weakly, “Come on. You’ve got work to do!”  
“No," I choke out summoning strength to continue, “I need you to do something for me.” His eyes are welling up. I find amusement in this. Koji has always been strong in the face of anything. He nods.

“Tell Iruka," I whisper, “that I couldn’t have asked for a better brother.” He nods again and swallows hard, “And tell Kakashi—“

Yet, I don’t continue. My gaze is no longer on my cousin. It’s on a floating figure of a man above me. As I narrow my eyes, I realize it’s the rogue ninja from before. His cloak is billowing above us, and his arms are lifted. Within a second I feel the ground begin to quake under me. My eyes widen as I clamp my hands together in a hand seal. 

All I can remember is screaming.  
All I can see is darkness.  
All I can feel is the comforting notion that in the end everything will be okay.

*****  
The wind rustled through the trees surrounding the backyard Kakashi was standing in. He stood at his spot for what seemed like hours allowing the cool gentle breeze of late spring to blow against him. He moved his gaze down at the two shrines in front of him. One looked slightly lopsided; as though it had been covered in plaster. It had a poorly written inscription upon it. It looked to have been done with a kunai blade. Kakashi sighed slightly toward the handwriting. It wasn’t his. It was Toshi’s. 

He gave a gruff of annoyance staring down the second shrine.  
“You always knew how to get to me," he could feel his eyes stinging again. It had been happening way too often for his comfort, “You always knew how to get me out of my comfort zone.” Kakashi stopped talking as he bit his lip hard, nearly drawing blood. He shut his visible eye tightly for a moment as he willed himself to gain control.  
“Great repayment for all the strings I pulled to get your whiney self buried here," he choked out stifling a small laugh. He paused for a moment as he searched for something to say. He didn’t know how to say it. He wanted to say it, and had been fighting the urge to say it even before her passing. Kakashi was always known for being smart and having the right thing to say at the right time. Yet, he couldn’t summon the words to express how he felt. His mind raced back to the day the Akatsuki invaded Konoha.

It was true. The rogue ninja named Nagato, formally known as Pain, killed nearly everyone in the village when he leveled it to the ground. Even at one point, Kakashi believed himself to be dead. Yet, his student Naruto talked Nagato out of his actions and Nagato brought back to life everyone he had killed.

“Everyone he had killed," echoed in Kakashi’s mind. He hung his head for what seemed like the hundredth time since Toshi’s passing. Nagato never attacked Toshi. Toshi’s death was of her own accord, and because she chose to destroy the scroll while connected to it, she was doomed to die as well. 

His thoughts wandered back to the moment he entered the medical tent. Iruka was standing next to her body crying in silence. He didn’t say a word to Kakashi when the ninja entered the tent; he only shook his head grimly. Kakashi remembered the instant gain of control he had to inflict upon himself. He couldn’t lose it in front of Iruka, or anyone else in the tent. Yet, he remembered the piercing feeling that consumed him. As though someone had ripped the heart right out of his chest. Iruka had urged the medical ninja to exit the tent and allow Kakashi a moment alone with Toshi. The jonin was grateful to him. He needed a moment alone to gather himself. Kakashi had lost people close to him before; his father, his teammates, and his teacher. Yet, Toshi seemed so tough. She was so set to her ways. Somehow she seemed invincible. 

When the others left, Kakashi sat down next to the cot she lay on. He observed that a medical ninja, or perhaps Iruka, covered her face with a white cloth. He knew he shouldn’t, but Kakashi lifted the cloth anyway. He could feel his eyes stinging and clouding as he gazed upon her face. She looked as though she were sleeping. Kakashi lowered his mask as the dam he had worked so hard to build around this matter finally broke. Kakashi buried his face into his hand and cried.

The wind rustled his hair once more as Kakashi exited out of his trance.  
“Look at me," he begrudged in amusement, “even after you’ve left I’m still making excuses for us to fight.” He gave a hefty sigh while staring at the polished stone that held her name.  
“I miss you so much," he sniffed and felt his mouth quiver, “but you went like you wanted to; on your own terms.” 

Suddenly Kakashi lifted the mask back onto his face as he turned around to see Koji walking into the yard to greet him. He wasn’t wearing his Anbu uniform, and looked to be on a day off from his duties.  
“Am I interrupting?” Koji inquired as Kakashi shook his head slightly wiping his eyes.  
“No," the jonin reassured, “can I help you, Koji?”  
“I don’t know how to begin," Koji shrugged his shoulders joining Kakashi at the shrine. The young ninja gazed down lazily at Toshi’s maker with a small smile, “You know, my father is still angry that you went behind the clan’s back and asked the hokage to bury her here.” 

Kakashi grinned under his mask, “She would have wanted it that way.”  
“You know," Koji continued uneasily, “I was with her during her last moments.” Kakashi nodded in understanding; he already knew this. 

“She died saving my life. She summoned the last grain of her chakra to cocoon us into a stone wall just before the explosion hit us.” Kakashi nodded again. “She asked me to tell you something. In fact, your name was her very last word.” Kakashi’s attention perked at this news. He spun his head to stare Koji face to face holding on to the ninja’s every word. “Unfortunately she didn’t get the whole message out. All she said was,‘Tell Kakashi.’” Kakashi turned away from Koji for a moment in thought.

Koji’s eyes widened as he watched Kakashi’s surprised look turn to one of amusement. The jonin glanced back toward Toshi’s cousin with a nod of thanks.  
“Do you know what she was going to say?” Koji was interested as Kakashi shrugged.  
“Un-telling," he answered, but Koji seemed to think otherwise. There was something about the change of demeanor in the older ninja that set him a little unease.

“Well," Koji turned to walk back out of the yard, “if you need anything, anything at all, don’t be afraid to ask.” Kakashi waved him good-bye as he watched Koji disappear amongst the gate that surrounded both the shrines and his childhood home. When the coast was clear Kakashi re-lowered his mask and smiled sadly toward Toshi’s shrine. He placed his hand on the stone and shut his eyes for a moment, picturing her usual scowl. The scowl that said, “I’m going to kill you” on the outside, but always have that glint of amusement on the inside.

“And I, you," he replied.


End file.
